Story highlights

CNN Latino celebrated its launch in Los Angeles at the Sunset Tower Hotel this week

CNN Latino will be CNN's first move outside cable television

Local Spanish-language television for Hispanics who also speak English? Yes.

As the nation grows, so has the number of Hispanics who speak English and Spanish and who feel comfortable receiving their news in both languages, according to Pew.

Since 1997, CNN en Español has reached millions of Spanish-speaking households, but there is still a need to reach another demographic.

Enter CNN Latino.

"This programming block is aimed at people who speak English and Spanish, families looking for something relevant," said Cynthia Hudson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Español, at the CNN Latino launch party in Los Angeles.

CNN Latino celebrated its launch in Los Angeles in style at the Sunset Tower Hotel this week.

Among CNN's journalists at the launch party were Mexican actresses Kate del Castillo and Angelica Vale, Mexican actor and singer Diego Boneta, Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui and model and former participant of the show "Mira Quien Baila" Maripily. Luis Miguel's daughter, Michelle Salas, also made an appearance.

CNN Latino's eight-hour custom-programming block is set to air on Thursday through a local channel in Los Angeles with special emphasis on the community of more than 4 million Hispanics. It will feature news, lifestyle, documentary, talk and debate, and it seeks to be an alternative to traditional Hispanic networks.

"This bloc is for the bicultural, bilingual Latino who goes back and forth between both worlds," said Elizabeth Espinosa, KTLA reporter who will be hosting "Sin Limites" (No Limits), a magazine lifestyle show that will air 8 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday on KBEH Channel 63.

She will keep her day job at KTLA, Channel 5, where she is a reporter for daytime and evening news shows. Espinosa is a native Angelino. Her mother emigrated from El Salvador, and her father is from Mexico.

In addition to "Sin Limites," CNN en Español's team will be a part of the programming as well:

-- And CNN's Ismael Cala will host "Cala," a 60-minute audience-engaging show where he interviews provocative newsmakers.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, with spending power of more than $1 trillion, and they have an increasing influence on social, economic and political trends.

CNN Latino joins the likes of News Corp and Colombia's RCN Television, which are behind the Spanish-language network MundoFox, and ABC News/Univision in launching a 24-hour English-language network, all aimed at the U.S. Hispanic audience.

The only difference is, CNN Latino will be accessible to those who don't have cable.

"For many Hispanics, this is going to be the first time they see CNN," said Hudson.

"What's going to represent CNN Latino in Los Angeles has not been seen before, about 50% of the public does not have cable," said Espinosa.

CNN Latino will be CNN's first move outside cable television and, according to Hudson, the first step to bringing this syndicated programming block to local broadcast stations in key Hispanic media markets.

"We want to produce content for the Latino who was born in Latin America that lives here and the Hispanic who was born in the U.S.," said Hudson.

Hudson said CNN en Español will be announcing at least five more new channel affiliates in other major cities within the U.S. that will broadcast CNN Latino.